Drying out Your Crawl Space (12.22.18)

Today’s Homeowner Radio

A crawlspace isn’t a part of the house homeowners visit often. So, it can be very frustrating to see something down there that could lead to a dangerous situation like standing water. Wood rot, mold growth and more can fester in an area containing standing water. A homeowner noticed after heavy rains this is becoming a common problem under her house. What Danny and Joe suggested she does to fix this problem.

And, there is a lot more that goes into making a man cave area in a garage than just adding a couch and a tv. It is important to take into account proper insulation practices to not only make it more comfortable but also save some money throughout the seasons.

Plus, Joe has a great simple solution for folks putting on the finishing touches on their holiday decorations. He’ll explain how you can string up all your lights without damaging the exterior of your home with nails or screws.

Listener Questions

French Drain or Vapor Barrier?
Annette in North Carolina – “After heavy rains which we have had a lot of lately, I have standing water in my crawlspace. I was told by a contractor a few months ago that the flooring at the back of my house was holding too much moisture. What is the best solution? French drain or vapor barrier or something else?”

Ventilation for a New Roof
Patty in Maine – “My husband insulated our ceiling on the second floor. He did not ventilate it. I had a new roof put on and had them put in roof venting. I want to cover the insulation now but I worry in the hot humid weather the moisture will cause mold under my new ceiling. Have I enough ventilation? How do I know? Who would I call to tell me?”

Man Cave Garage
Laura in Alabama – “We turned our garage into a living space. Is there a way to make it more accommodating during the cold winter and hot summer months?”

Will Soffit Vents Eliminate Frost in the Attic?
Matt in Maine – “During this recent cold snap, I decided to peek up into the attic just to check early in the morning before work. To my amazement, I saw frost on the nails poking through the plywood sheathing and a little on the sheathing as well. I read that to remedy this problem you first try to seal any air leaks (bypasses) from the flow below. I went ahead and expanded foamed near the plumbing vents, duct tables around the bathroom exhaust, and caulked around light electrical. boxes. My home does not have a poly vapor barrier and we have about 8 to 12 inches of blown-in fiberglass insulation distributed evenly throughout. It appears only on cold (less than 15 F), still, nights is when the frost happens. Based on this I believe I need to now improve ventilation within the attic space because it appears that the warm, humid air is getting trapped and not moving out of the attic on still calm nights. The current ventilation is a ridge vent and gable vents (no soffit vents). My question is would adding soffit vents help eliminate or significantly reduce frost in my attic. There are no other obvious sources of moisture other than the ones I listed above and sealed.”

Replacing Ceramic Tile with Wood Laminate
Danielle in Alabama – “I am attempting, for the second time, to remove the ceramic tile and replace it with wood laminate. I do not want to use a leveling compound and lay the laminate on top because the floor would be a different height than the adjacent floor. This is in the living/dining area, so it’s fairly large. I’ve done this once before in the bedroom, and had a terrible time removing the mortar. Would you recommend renting a commercial floor stripper, or some other method to remove the tile?”

Simple Solutions

No-Harm Holiday Light Installation — Here’s a quick way to hang holiday lights on the outside of your home, without causing any damage with nails or screws. All you need are some adhesive-backed plastic mounting bases, which you can find at home centers and hardware stores; look for them in the electrical dept.

Condition New Paint Roller — Before using a brand-new paint-roller sleeve, it’s important to “condition” it, so that it spreads the paint evenly and smoothly.

Best New Products

If you could find a toilet that didn’t require cleaning as often that would be a great thing, right? Well, The Kohler Valiant Toilet features Revolution 360 swirl flushing technology to keep the bowl cleaner longer than a conventional flush toilet. By increasing the power of the flush and re-engineering the tank, bowl, and trapway they make every single flush more effective.

Backed by his 40-year remodeling career, Danny served as the home improvement expert for CBS’s The Early Show and The Weather Channel for more than a decade. His extensive hands-on experience and understanding of the industry make him the go-to source for all things having to do with the home – from advice on simple repairs, to complete remodels, to helping homeowners prepare their homes for extreme weather and seasons.

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